Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball Hands-on Preview

Every once in a while a really strange game crops up that you just cannot help but wonder how it became so popular. The latest in a string of weird and wonderful games comes from 82apps, and takes you to a place capable of making even the toughest retinas bleed. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball (or Disco Dodgeball as I shall refer to it for the sake of my own sanity) is a neon infused game developed by a single, highly devoted chap going by the name of Erik Asmussen who has put hundreds of hours into his top rated product. I have been fortunate enough to have been given access to the early build of Disco Dodgeball, and so I come with some awesome news.

At a rock bottom price of just $9.99, Disco Dodgeball offers gamers a lot of of bang for their buck, and players worried that the small price point might mean a lack of content should without a doubt put their fears to rest. Currently featuring 10 maps to be played across multiple game modes, content is in no way lacking. Disco Dodgeball is, at the time of writing, available on Steam Early Access, but it already has more than enough content to truly satisfy players.

Trickshots play a massive role in Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball

Throughout my time playing I only ever had one gripe that was entirely bug related. Occasionally the AI would break and stand still resulting in easy points, but this is something that will very likely be fixed, but yet again shows the importance of community feedback. Outside of AI breaking, time spent with the game was extremely enjoyable in both online and offline states.

The very first thing I picked up on once I booted the game was the powerful club worthy music, and it immediately made me realize that this would be no slow paced game. In most every way I was right. Disco Dodgeball requires great skill and patience if you hope to come out on top across each of the 7 different game modes, but staying on the move whilst maintaining accuracy is not a simple task. It would definitely be fair to consider Disco Dodgeball a game that is simple to learn, but difficult to master. I played all the modes available, and there were certainly some that stuck out far from others. The usual suspects are all present, such as everybody’s favorites like Deathmatch and Elimination, but 82apps have also included variants of Capture the Flag and even a brilliant take on Basketball among others. My personal favorite mode turned out to be Air Raid, though unfortunately at the moment it resides as a single player mode under the challenges section, where again more game types belong. Hopefully though 82apps sees how to make the mode into multiplayer, since it is pretty easy to see how much fun could be had if it were.

Some modes require serious finesse

It does not take long for all Disco Dodgeball presently has to be revealed, yet there are massive incentives to play. Aside from getting friends together and having an absolute blast as much hilarity ensues, Disco Dodgeball has a wide range of cosmetic unlockables as well a perks to gain in the newly released Arcade mode. Arcade mode is a singleplayer only affair that pits your little killing machine against several others, as well as boss characters. These boss characters look like normal robots, yet have special abilities such as increased health and unstoppable urges to jump. In truth, I only managed to make it to two bosses since Disco Dodgeball can be a real challenge. With limited lives though, it only gets more difficult. What I loved about Arcade mode was how after each group of waves, upgrades can be added which make your machine stronger in some way or other. These upgrades are gained with money earned from kicking ass and getting nifty trick shots, and so taking risks for a higher payout is always advised.

As it stands, Disco Dodgeball seems to have it all in terms of what the game wants to be. It has working multiplayer, mostly great singleplayer, simple but snazzy visuals and even customization for those who want a little more freedom in their games. The one sorely lacking feature in the game is not even the games fault. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball is lacking on players for online sessions, and that for me is its biggest weakness. Despite taking the top spot for best user rated multiplayer game on Steam (besting even Counter Strike), it still has no one playing it online in public lobbies at least. It would sadly seem that most people are playing it with friends or sticking to the singleplayer component. Which is a shame considering how much of a social game Disco Dodgeball actually is. Hopefully though, once more people see how much enjoyment can be had in the game, it gains a huge following of loyal online players.

As you can imagine, things can get pretty hectic

Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball can be picked up on Steam Early Access today for a humble $9.99, but once it exits the Early Access scheme and releases on February 19th, the game will be rising in price to $14.99. Disco Dodgeball is a triumph in original design, and proof that there is never an idea too dumb to translate into a video game. Keep an eye on Entertainment Buddha for more from 82apps and of course, Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball.

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